One sea to many oceans: First of its kind study on oxygen flow and its role in sustaining life globally
The Labrador Sea between Canada and Greenland is often referred to as a ‘lung of the deep ocean’ because it is one of only a handful of locations worldwide where oxygen from the atmosphere can enter the deepest layers of the ocean. The ability to sustain animal life in the deep ocean depends directly on […]
Year in Review: Lung Cancer
Lung cancer developments in 2021 were highlighted by the approval of an agent for a target once considered “undruggable,” the first approval of an adjuvant immunotherapy, broader screening recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), and more. First Approvals Targeting KRAS and a Rare EGFR Mutation In May, the FDA granted accelerated approval […]
Most cases of never-smokers’ lung cancer treatable with mutation-targeting drugs: Available, FDA-approved drugs may be effective in targeting about 80% of never-smokers’ lung tumors
Despite smoking’s well-known role in causing lung cancer, a significant number of patients who develop lung tumors have never smoked. While scientists are still working to understand what spurs cancer in so-called “never-smokers,” a study led by scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis demonstrates new possibilities for treating these baffling tumors. […]
Another Possible Option for HER2-Mutated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
More than half of patients with treatment-refractory HER2-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) responded to an anti-HER2 antibody-drug conjugate, data from a preliminary trial showed. Fifty of 91 patients responded to trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) and another 34 patients had stable disease, resulting in a disease control rate exceeding 90%. Responses were durable in many cases, […]
Immuno-Oncology Combo Active in Recurrent EGFR/ALK Positive NSCLC
Patients with recurrent EGFR/ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) obtained durable remissions with the combination of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and chemotherapy, a small prospective study showed. The immuno-oncology (IO) combination led to a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 8.3 months in EGFR-mutant NSCLC and overall survival (OS) of 22.2 months. The combination had limited activity in […]
A more complete molecular picture of lung squamous cell carcinoma comes into view: New insights into lung tumor biology and potential drug targets emerge from a study integrating genomics and proteomics
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-associated death in the United States and worldwide. Patients with a subtype called lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) have benefited from the development of new targeted medicines, but the search for effective new therapies for another subtype called lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) has largely come up short. To learn […]
LDCT Screening Linked to Lower Risk of Brain Mets in Lung Cancer
Patients with primary lung cancer detected with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening have a lower risk of developing brain metastases than patients whose cancer was detected through other methods, researchers found. After adjusting for age at diagnosis, cancer stage, histology, and smoking status, patients whose lung cancer was detected with LDCT screening had a significantly […]